


Healing for the Hurt and Heartbroken

by theauthenticme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Abusive Relationship, Angst, ChONI AU, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Cheryl is hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Nasty Nick, Toni is a doctor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-19 01:30:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20322880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthenticme/pseuds/theauthenticme
Summary: When Cheryl turns up at the ER anxious and hurt, Doctor Toni Topaz is assigned to her case and quickly realizes there is more to Cheryl than meets the eye.





	Healing for the Hurt and Heartbroken

**Author's Note:**

> This was something that I wrote a long time ago. I have changed and improved it, so I hope you enjoy this remastered version.
> 
> This was originally a prompt request to see Toni as a doctor. 
> 
> I had the pleasure of working on this with just_browsing. go check out her writing if you haven't already!
> 
> This is currently a two parter,although it could potentially be longer. 
> 
> TW for mentions of domestic violence in this one.

This was a bad idea. She _knew_ it was, and yet...here she was. Cheryl regretted stepping into the ER before she had even got anywhere. All she's done is fill out the monotonous forms, altering some details to try and stay anonymous as possible while she waited.

She tried to keep her head down, not wanting to attract attention or for anyone she might recognize to see her there. Not that that was likely these days, it was obvious that she lived a lonely existence when anyone bothered to look below the surface.  
Her mind wandered off into a trace, thinking about anything and everything until a flash of pink in the distance caught her eye as she moved around the ER.

"Jane, tell Mrs. Johnson in bay 3 that I’ll be right in, I'm just sorting bay 6 first and then I'll be there.." her voice was commanding yet soft. Cheryl guessed she was a doctor rather than a nurse, although she couldn't be sure. The woman was wearing a black woolen style sweater, a stethoscope around her neck. Although the stethoscope didn't automatically mean she was a doctor. If there was one thing that Cheryl Blossom knew better than anyone else, it was that appearances could be _very_ deceiving.

Cheryl watched her shoot her colleague a smile before hurrying off to help patients in the curtained bays.

The redhead smiled to herself discretely, slightly intrigued by the stranger with the pink hair.

"Lauren Smith?" A nurse called out. Cheryl didn't respond, not remembering at first that that was the name she'd used on the forms.

"Lauren?" The nurse called again, looking at Cheryl. "That's you right?" she checked.

"Oh right..yes! That's me.." she stood slowly, pushing herself up off the seat as carefully as she could.

"This way please.."

Cheryl walked slowly, pain coursing through her body with every step. Cheryl knew from bitter experience that this was always easier if she didn't engage with the staff too much. They seemed to ask less questions that way.

“Miss Smith?” The nurse asked her to confirm who she was again when Cheryl sat gingerly on the bed in the bay.

"Yes?" Cheryl tried not to wince as she positioned herself to face the nurse.

"So it says here that you have some pain in your ribs and in your left arm...and I can see you have a rather nasty looking cut on your cheek. How did all this happen?” She asked, flicking through the the forms that Cheryl had filled in earlier.

"I uh..I fell. I'm clumsy like that" she mumbled. "Not that it matters. I just need to know nothing is broken and maybe get some stitches in my cheek"

“Of course..” The nurse said as she took a closer look at Cheryl’s face. “You did a good job covering that with your hair"

“Yeah.." Cheryl let out a small laugh to keep the nurse on side. “Do you know how long this is all going to take?” she wanted, no, _needed_ to leave as soon as possible.

"It's hard to say. We are very busy today Miss Smith. And until you've had your injuries assessed, it's hard to ascertain the treatment you might need and how long that might take" the nurse replied honestly, noting the change in Cheryl’s facial expression. “These things take time, and more often that not, you just gotta wait it out.”

"Great" she moaned with a sigh. "So uh...I know you're busy but, any idea when will the doctor get here?"

“She’s with a patient at the moment.” The nurse explained. “It’s been a hectic morning but I can assure you, she’ll see to you as soon as she can.”

"I've no doubt. Thanks" she mumbled, pulling her phone out and checking it for messages, putting it on aeroplane mode just incase she was being tracked.

An hour or so past and Cheryl was starting to get more anxious as the seconds ticked by. She looked out into the ER through a small gap in the curtain around her bed, occasionally seeing that flash of pink that she was so intrigued by. Was she a doctor? Could she possibly be _her_ doctor? Surely there was more than one about. It was foolish for her to assume the pretty pink haired lady would be for her.

She continued to wait, the pain she was experiencing seeming to get worse as time went on, although atleast she was behind the curtain of a bay and she was _safe_. 

Cheryl opened the camera on her phone to take a look at the cut on her face for herself.

Without warning, the curtain was pulled back, startling her as her head shot up.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting so long Miss...Smith.” The Doctor said, glancing at the notes in her hand without looking at Cheryl. “I’m doctor Topaz.”

So she _was_ a doctor. Interesting.

Cheryl quickly locked her phone, looking up at the doctor. Wow..she was even prettier close up.

"I uh..it's fine"'she seemed to stutter.

The doctor shook her head slightly, brushing some loose strands that hung over her shoulder from her pony tail. “I am sorry though, you shouldn't have had to wait to along. It's just been so hectic today.”

"It's honestly okay" Cheryl reassured her. The doctor sighed in relief and her shoulders relaxed at Cheryl’s acceptance of her lateness.

"Okay so from what I can see here, we’re going to have to look at your ribs, arm...and that nasty cut on your cheek" she finished, gazing at Cheryl, making the redhead feel unusually nervous.

Cheryl nodded slightly, taking note that she had immediately noticed her cut cheek even though she had tried to hide it under her hair. "Yeah..yeah..that's right" she nodded. "But my arm and rib are okay..if maybe you can help sort my cheek and then I get going. Don't worry about the rest. Like you said, it's hectic today and I'm sure you have lots of other patients to see."

Toni looked at her with a raised eyebrow, a look of concern etched on her face. She sensed that Cheryl was hiding something but she didn’t want to push too hard too soon.

“Don’t be silly, that's what I’m here for.” Toni answered her casually. “To tell you the truth, I'd rather give each of my patients a little extra time if it means U I know they are going home in a better state than when they came on. These things can't be rushed.." she finished softly.

"Right.." Cheryl nodded quietly, her gaze falling back to her lap. She checked her phone again but relaxed a little when she remembered it was on airplane mode and she didn't need to worry for now.

“Is everything okay?” Toni asked, reading Cheryl’s fragile facial expression. “You look a little...preoccupied.”

Cheryl looked up at Toni from the exam bed and forced her best smile onto her lips. "It's all good" she assured the doctor.

“Something tells me it's’ not good at all..." Toni countered with a questioning look. “I’m here to help you...in what ever way you need.” She finished, willing Cheryl to open up.

"I just need my cheek fixed" Cheryl sighed. She couldn't say anymore..knew it wasn't safe. Especially in such a public ER, she was only separated from the next bay by a thin curtain.

“Okay, well let me take a look and we'll see what needs to be done.."Toni smiled, pulling on some fresh gloves and moving closer to Cheryl. She hadn't even touched her, when Cheryl flinched away, fearing what was to come.

"Hey..hey...it's okay..I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to take a look at this cut. Can you lay back for me?"

"I uh..I'm not sure.." she mumbled, a hand falling to her ribs.

"Let me help.." Toni replied softly, easing Cheryl very gently back onto the bed. She had seen countless patients like Cheryl before and could make a pretty good educated guess on where her fear stemmed from.

"You'll feel my hands on your face, try and keep still for me.." she examined Cheryl's face as gently as she could, moving some hair off her face to get a better look at her cheek. Cheryl flinched again at the contact, her body on auto pilot. She hoped the beautiful doctor hadn't noticed as she tried to sit still.

"That's going to need cleaning and some stitches. I can numb it with a local anesthetic so you won't feel anything."

"Thank you.." Cheryl mumbled quietly.

Toni made quick work of fixing Cheryl's cheek, her stitching technique impeccable. "As soon as I'm done, we'll get you down to X-ray.” She continued as she worked.

"Thank you..I just.." she was lost for words again, sighing to herself as she kept her gaze distant and on anything other than Toni.

“You just, what?” Toni's soft voice was barely above a whisper, prolonging Cheryl’s treatment in the hopes of getting more information out of her. “You can trust me.."

"That's what they all say" she shook her head slightly. "Thank you for your concern but like I told the nurse earlier, I only sustained these injuries because I'm clumsy."

“It's my job to ask these things" Toni reminded her as she leaned back from the redhead and removed the gloves she was wearing.

"Right, your cheek is good as new...we'll get you off to x-ray and then take it from there."

"Okay" Cheryl's clipped and quiet tone had Toni worried.

“Lauren..is it okay if I call you that? I can use Miss Smith if you prefer.." she watched the redhead for her response.

Cheryl shook her head. "It's not.."

"It's not okay for me to call you Lauren? That's perfectly fine...you're in control here okay?"

"No..I mean..it's not Lauren. My name isn't Lauren."

Toni picked up the forms again, narrowing her eyes as she looked at them. Did she have the wrong patient? "It's not?"

Cheryl shook her head slowly. "It's uh..it's Cheryl."

"Thank you for sharing that with me Cheryl.." she smiled kindly at her.

"Please don't say anything" Cheryl whispered, her wide eyes looking fearfully at Toni.

"Of course not..." Toni sat down on the rolling stool by the exam bed. "And I mean..don't get me wrong, I’m as clumsy as the next person...but it takes something more than a clumsy fall to hurt your ribs, arm and face the way you have..." Toni pointed out gently. “I want to help, Cheryl...but I need to know what happened.”

"You can't help" Cheryl closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall.

“Think you can let me try? I might surprise you" Toni countered with a soft smile on her face.

Cheryl forced another smile out at the pretty doctor, not wanting to upset her.

Toni couldn’t put her finger on why she wasn’t getting through to the redhead, usually people were more than willing to rant to her about their lives, but Cheryl wanted to do the exact opposite.

Cheryl checked the time on her phone and started to panic about how long she'd been gone. "Shit..I uh..I really should leave and let you to get on now" she went to get up but pushed herself up on her bad arm and winced in pain.

“Hey hey hey...” Toni said softly, placing her hands on Cheryl’s shoulders and keeping her steady. “You’re not going anywhere just yet, try and stay still.”

"I really should be going.." she mumbled, anxious that if she didn't leave soon, he might look for her. Hopefully not here though.

“Cheryl please...” Toni pleaded. “You're in no fit state to leave yet. We atleast need to get an x-ray of your arm and ribs."

"I guess I can stay a tiny bit longer" she mused, needing to know if her arm or ribs were broken.

“We are going to get you straight to x-ray.” Toni told her, pulling out a pager from her pocket.

"I appreciate it.. thank you.."

“No need to thank me.” Toni replied sincerely. “I'm just doing my job.”

"Can I pay cash?" She was anxious about having to use her health insurance. "If not..I can get someone to transfer the money.."

“Of course, but let's not worry about all that for now.” Toni responded, waving away Cheryl’s question. “Ah! Right on time!” She was cut off from her sentence by the porter peaking his head through the curtain, signalling that it was time for Cheryl to go to x-ray. “This is Dan.” Toni told her as Dan smiled. “He’ll take you to get your x-ray, then bring you back here so we can take a look at the results."

"Hi Dan" she forced a smile onto her face and let him do his job. She knew it would be over soon.

“You ready?” Dan said in a greeting.

"It won’t take long.” Toni assured Cheryl, helping her off the bed and sitting her down in the wheelchair that Dan had brought.

"I really don’t need a wheelchair.” Cheryl pointed out stubbornly as she took a seat.

“It’s just a precaution, and it’s a lot faster than walking.” Toni countered. "This place is bigger than it looks.."

"Okay fine" she moaned. "Anything to get this over with quicker" her walls were well and truly up again.

Toni gave Cheryl a soft smile as Dan wheeled her out of the bay and through the ER. She stood there for a moment, knowing that there was more to this than Cheryl was letting on.

Cheryl was glad that the x-rays were a quick, albeit painful process. She held her arm tight to her body as she was wheeled back towards the ER, wondering if she would see Toni again or if it would be a different doctor this time. Toni had seemed incredibly busy.

To her surprise, Dan wheeled her into a different room this time with only one bed in it.

"Are you sure this is the right place?” Cheryl asked, looking up at him from the wheelchair as he stopped.

"Yep!” He replied simply, steadying the chair for Cheryl to get up. “Doctor Topaz paged me while you were having your x-rays and specifically said to bring you here.” He finished casually.

"Oh okay!” Cheryl replied slowly. “Thank you.” She finished, getting up out of the chair and moving slowly onto the exam bed.

Cheryl was confused as to why she was here but didn't complain. There was less chance of her being spotted in his room. She waited quietly for the doctor to come back.

After a few minutes, Cheryl could hear the faint sound of voices outside her door, she recognised one voice instantly as Toni’s.

“I’ll take this patient, Jen.” Toni said, presumably to another doctor.  
"But your shift is over in half an hour.." the other doctor replied, thinking that it was pointless for Toni to continue with a patient when she was about to clock out.

“Honestly it’s fine, I'm already half way through, I’ll stay on a little longer.” Cheryl heard Toni reason with her, making her heart flutter ever so slightly.

“You work too hard Toni!" Jen replied with a laugh as Cheryl heard her footsteps walk away.

Cheryl said nothing as she watched Toni walk back into the room. She was fiddling with the ring on her finger, twirling it round unconsciously without even realizing.

“How are you feeling?” Toni asked in a light tone. “I hope the x-rays weren’t too uncomfortable for you.”

"I survived" Cheryl forced another smile out at the beautiful doctor. "Have you got the results back?"

“I have!” Toni said with a nod, moving over to the computer screen in the room and loading up her results.

Cheryl gazed up at her X-ray results on the screen by her bedside, not really understanding what she was looking at.  
“So the good news is that there’s no broken bones.” Toni told her as she turned towards the x-rays. “But you’ve got some severely bruised ribs on your left side, and your arm is bruised with a badly sprained wrist.”

"Just bruised?" She checked again. "Oh thank god.." she had been incredibly worried that she would need a cast.

"We can give you a support for your arm though.." Toni suggested. Looking at the way Cheryl kept it close to her body.

"That would would be helpful" she agreed.

"And now we're in here..I would like to give you a proper exam too" Toni shared.

"Can you close the blinds first? Please?"

“Yeah of course.” Toni answered her, drawing the blinds to the small window in the room and making sure the door was closed.

"Thank you" Cheryl mumbled out, grateful that she had done it without asking lots of questions.

Toni proceeded cautiously, carrying out some routine tests on Cheryl like her blood pressure and range of movement. With each second that passed she could feel Cheryl start to relax a bit more, she guessed the secluded room had helped.

"So uh..is it all looking okay?" Cheryl asked, flipping her phone in her hands again.

“Uhuh. Your vitals are good. Your heart rate is a little elevated but that's to be expected considering where you're sat right now.." Toni tried to sound as casual as possible, even though she knew there was more to this than Cheryl was willing to share. "I am concerned about how this happened though and I want you to know...if there's anything troubling you-" she started.

"No..nothing" Cheryl cut her off, looking nervously at her. "I'm just worried about how long I've been here..my uh..my boss will be wondering where I am."

“Ohh your boss.” Toni answered her with an unconvinced nod. “Understandable. What's your job?”

Cheryl faltered, not able to tell Toni that her boyfriend didn't even let her have a job. "Oh uh..it's..I work.." she mumbled. "At the local Target".

Toni tweaked her neck and nodded her head slowly, taking in what Cheryl was saying. “Ohh! Cool.” She replied casually.  
"I worked there when I was a freshman. The staff discount was great."

"I know right" she agreed, clearly uncomfortable.

“So what’s your boss like?”

"He's fine. Just like a..a regular boss would be."

“Oh, that’s lucky for you then!” Toni said back. “Because my boss used to be a real jackass sometimes.” She finished with a slight laugh, wanting and *hoping* that Cheryl would keep talking.

"Oh..yeah..yeah..mine too. All bosses are like that right?"

Toni took a moment to think, how was she going to get Cheryl to open up? “You know, it would be okay if your boss wasn’t the reason why you’re in such a hurry to get out of here. It would be okay if it was something...or -*someone* else.” Toni started tentatively, causing Cheryl to look at her with a slight frown. “I mean it wouldn’t be okay of course...but it would be okay to tell me about it.”

Cheryl sat quietly for a minute, fiddling again with the engagement ring on her finger. "I uh..I don't have a boss" she mumbled, she cheeks blushing as red as her hair.

“Okay...” Toni dragged out gently, willing her to continue.

"My fiancé.." she started. "He doesn't want me to have a job. Thinks I might cheat on him if I'm around others."

“That’s insane" Toni replied as she shook her head in disbelief. “Cheryl, is he the reason you’re here?”

Cheryl nodded mutely, tears welling in her eyes. She didn't dare look up at the doctor.

“Cheryl...” Toni gasped gently, taking a seat on the rolling stool beside her again and reaching a tentative hand out to rest on her good arm.

"You have to know that you didn’t deserve anything that he did you to. These injuries aren’t your fault.”

Cheryl shook her head. That wasn't true, Toni didn't know. "It's complicated."

“Regardless of how complicated you feel it is, being treated like this by anyone is not okay" Toni hated what Cheryl’s fiancé had done to her.

"I make him angry. Don't do what I'm supposed to" she mumbled again, her anxiety growing as she talked about this. She had never told anyone before.

“Cheryl, please listen to me when I say this..." Toni started, something in her voice making Cheryl look up at her. “What he did to you, you in no way deserved it. You don’t deserve to be treated like that. Not now..not ever."

Cheryl had to avert her eyes from Toni's, unable to hold contact as the tears started to fall.

“It’s okay.” Toni whispered gently. “You can let it out...I’m here.”

"It's not your job to watch me fall apart. You have loads of patients needing you, you've probably already worked over your shift and here I am crying like a baby."

"It's my job to give you the care that you need. If part of that is a hug and a listening ear, then that's more than okay. I can see that you're hurting, both physically and emotionally, but I can tell that you're a strong person and you'll be okay."

"You have more faith in me than I do myself" she gave her a half hearted smile.

“And I’ve only known you for a short while" Toni teased with a smile.

"Thanks. You're too kind" she blushed.

“Just honest.” Toni corrected her delicately, sensing some sort of break down in Cheryl’s high walls.

"I..I don't know what I'm supposed to do now" she didn't want to go home, but there didn't seem like there was any other choice.  
Toni looked over at Cheryl, understanding that she meant she didn’t want to go home to her fiancé. “Is there anyone you can stay with? Some friends?” Toni suggested.

Cheryl shook her head. "No..not anymore. He..he didn't like me having friends.."

Toni sighed in response, unable to believe what Cheryl had been but through emotionally, physically and mentally by the torrid fiancé she was telling her about. She sees so many patients walk through the doors of the hospital every day, but Cheryl needed more than help...she needed love, and trust and appreciation. “We have the numbers for some local shelters I can get for you" Toni offered, wanting to help Cheryl in any way she could.

"I..my boyfriend isn't going to be happy about any of this. He'll already be wondering where I am."

“Forget about him for now..." Toni told her, waving away her concerns. “Or, you could just text him and tell him that you're at the hospital and we’re keeping you overnight for observation? Maybe add that visiting hours are over?” She suggested, noting the concerned look creeping onto Cheryl’s face.

"Yeah..yeah." She listened to Toni. "Maybe.."

The quiet calm of the exam room was broken when Cheryl heard a loud voice shouting at the nurses.

"Oh shit.." she mumbled, her eyes widening on fear. "That's him..he's here!"

To be continued...

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading chapter 1. You can follow me on twitter at: theauthenticme2
> 
> Feel free to ask anything Riverdale/fanfics/Choni/anything else on curiouscat (link on my twitter page theauthenticme2).
> 
> I love to read your comments and thoughts. I am continually trying to improve my writing so if you have any constructive criticism or feedback of how I could inprove, let me know. If it's not good or you didn't enjoy it, let me know why so I can improve. ♥️


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